Love Emulsion
by CaBu12
Summary: Upon hearing Jamie's story about the guardians over and over, babysitter Heather, decides to let go and begins to give merit to the tall tale. Meanwhile left alone with her thoughts and anxieties, Heather's sister, Rye, gives in to the fears that have always plagued her, giving a particular shadow more encouragement to creep back to life.
1. Act One

Author's Note:

Before you decide to read ahead at the stories I have posted, a warning: I am a very self-indulgent, self-insert author. In fact, 99.9% of my fics include my self-insert and I'm proud of it. So, if you feel like you can endure it, please proceed!

But _please_ remember: this and every other story that I have written was produced out of pure boredom/fun/crack or just because I felt like it. Therefore, it is NOT perfect. I am _not_ a professional. I cannot guarantee that the grammar is spot on or that you'll enjoy it. But if you decide to stick around for the ride? I appreciate it. But I am, (repeat I _am_ ) an amateur writer.

I do hope however; I can entertain you for a couple of hours and maybe get a laugh or two outta ya? I really appreciate all the support you all have given me over the years and I'll continue to try and update when I can.

So, thanks! Thanks a bundle!

ALSO

I do not own any part of Rise of the Guardians. Just the characters, Heather and Rye Matthews.

Another **MORE IMPORTANT** side note: I actually wrote this story back in 2013 and it is a tad embarrassing. Why you may ask, why? Well, you'll read on why. I included another fandom just for reference and bad jokes later on but it's not really important. AND none of those characters nor the fandom will be named by their canon names. It's a small detail I felt needed to be added to more THIS story further along so try not to be distracted by it? Please be nice, okay? Thanks!

Much love guys and have fun!

* * *

" _I remember the look in your eyes when I told you that this was good bye. You were begging me not tonight, not here, not now. Were lookin' up at the same night sky, keep pretending the sun will not rise. We'll be together for one more night somewhere, somehow."-_ Ocean Avenue, Yellowcard.

* * *

Love Emulsion

Chapter One

How could one kid tell such amazing stories? No scratch that, how could a single kid _make up_ that kind of story? Hell, she'd just turned eighteen and she couldn't make up a story like that, not to mention he told it with such vigor and passion! Where did he get this all from? Maybe a dream? She'd had some pretty crazy dreams in the past but she couldn't ever recite a story like this with so many details and dialogue without making up a few tidbits here and there! Jamie had serious talent.

Even here in the school library, no one had ever heard a story so amazing. All the books on the shelves _combined_ couldn't measure up to what he was saying. And listening to it all, while he jerked his arms in the air and smiled so wide she could see the gap in his teeth, only added to the wonder of it all, the most she could do was sit with a warm smile and a set of wide eyes. Seated at one of the larger tables in the library, Heather sat beside Jamie with her right elbow pressed against the table's surface. The side of her face rested in her open palm while the smile on her face grew wider.

How long had she known this kid? Since he was born! She was ten or eleven at the time. He always seemed to have a wild and active imagination but this took the cake! Ah, he'd be a wonderful writer if he kept up the great work. Shit, she was sure if she wrote down everything he was saying, she'd make a fortune on the books made afterward. Eh, but she could never describe the characters in his story the way he did. Best leave the work to the professionals!

Characters like the ones he talked about seemed so lively, he had to have based them off of someone or some people he really knew, maybe some relatives? Ah well, Santa Claus, or 'North' as he called him, never sounded cooler. It was a complete flip from the old man on the coke cans they put on during the winter.

"It was so cool!" Again, the younger boy threw his arms in the air, like he'd won some kind of victory, while he grinned from ear to ear.

"That's a great story, you know." Heather felt her own smile widen. "Every time you tell it, it gets better."

"You should have been there!" He went on, "They were like super heroes!"

 _Like super heroes_? What was that supposed to mean, after all they were his characters, weren't they? "Well by the way you describe them, they were super heroes. You can make them anything you want, it's your story."

Jamie's large smile dropped the moment her lips came to a close. His arms fell back to the table and his bottom lip poked out. "It's not a story, it really happened!"

Her brow lifted. "Is that right?"

"Of course!"

"Okay," Heather removed her cheek from her palm sat back in her seat. "If that's what you believe, that's fine."

"You never believe me, it happened!" He protested with the same cute pout. "Jack Frost was there, I talked to him! You can ask Cupcake, she was there too!"

Cupcake too? Geez, this story was getting contagious, every kid in the second grade was talking up a storm about this tale Jamie conjured up. How many times did she hear the name 'Jack Frost' in the past few days? Not to mention all the kids bringing in the toys supposedly left by the Toothfairy.

Eh, didn't make much difference anyway, it _was_ just a clever story. There was no thing as Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. Parents, _good parents_ , always left their kids gifts on the holidays, there was nothing magical about it at all! Christmas was just a huge shopping day and excuse for mothers to bury themselves in credit card debt. Then again, if that's what the children wanted to believe, why ruin their good time? She believed in those things once too, right?

"Fine." Regardless of her inner Grinch she continued, " _You_ believed it happened."

"It did happ-"

The loud chime of the school bell caught both male and female off guard. While she flinched, he stiffened but both looked up at the large clock that hung above the library door. Ah, lunchtime had crept up on them faster than expected. The sound the shifting clothes, boots and shuffling backpacks echoed through the chilly room, forcing the teacher's assistant to look left, at her favorite student.

"Come on, let's get back to the classroom and eat lunch!"

"Okay." He nodded once before turning to his open knapsack and placed his books inside.

"Your mom told me that she's gonna be late, so I'm going to start dinner before she comes by to pick you and your sis up," She said as she lifted her tired, cold body out of the metallic chair.

"Uh huh."

There was a benefit from babysitting an older kid! Watching Jamie and Sophie since they were tots was always fun, since their mother was such a close friend of her own plus, it was only a matter of time until Jamie was old enough to enter the grade she assist taught in. Sophie wasn't far behind either; soon she'd be looking after _her_ when she was a second grader! Time flew by way too fast now that she was an 'old lady'.

"What are we having?"

The sound of his voice made her look down in his direction. "Hamburger Helper," She felt another smile tug at her lips. "It's gonna be good!"

After zipping up his bag, he threw it around his bag, allowing the shoulder straps to sit along his upper arms with ease. "Again?" He glanced up at her with a single brow lifted and dissatisfied frown.

"Hey," Heather placed her arms to her hips, her smile flipping. "It's the only thing I had on hand at such short notice. It's good, you like it!"

Jamie stepped away from his chair and pushed it back against the table. "Not every time I come over its not."

She pouted. "I'll be more prepared next time." The teacher's aide moved away from the table, mirroring the younger boy's actions and pushed the chair against the desk. "How about enchiladas tomorrow?" Best to give him an option, right?

"Sure," He nodded, smile finally returning to his face. "Chicken is good."

"And most importantly?" She tilted her head to the right and waited for her babysit-ee to respond.

"Dessert!" He chimed in for her.

"Of course!" Heather lifted her hand and index finger into the air. "Cookies?"

"Yeah!" Jamie balled his fists.

"I think I can do that."

Damn, this kid was too much fun. He was more like a cousin than anything, since their mothers were so close when _they_ were young. Hell, she didn't even _know_ half of her real blood cousins but as long as she had her sisters, Jamie and Sophie, she didn't need anyone else! This was all the family she needed.

XoXoX

Why did holding hands always result in sweaty palms? Ugh, was it just her or did everyone deal with this kinda thing? Ah well, it wasn't like Sophie was going to judge her because her hands got a little wet. Home wasn't that far off anyways.

 _It's freezing out here, why am I sweating? Gah._

"Did you have fun at daycare today?" Jamie bent down to his younger sibling with a smile.

"Yeah!" The small female nearly bounced at the sound of her brother's voice.

Aw, why did they have to be so cute together? Hell, even as children she and Rye didn't get along as well as they did. Then again, she had been there when the brother and sister duo decided to disagree. Not a pretty sight but siblings aren't perfect; they were cool most of the time anyway.

Jamie, himself, never seemed to get angry a whole lot. Even when kids would pick on him or start a fight with him, he never really fell into the whole argument trap. The kid was laid back, understanding and very optimistic. The future was nothing but bright for the twerp! Good thing too, he deserved it. He had given a lot of kids hope with that fantastic story of his. What more could anyone ask for?

As she walked alongside the two younger kids, Heather clenched her hand around Sophie's. What would she do without her 'cousins' or her sisters? Life would be pretty dull. Since moving out of her mom and dad's place, things had been pretty lonely. Thank god that she had the small group of friends she had. Her assistant teaching job didn't pay much and didn't give her much of a social life with people her own age but things were just about as perfect as they could get.

"Hey," The older woman looked down to the boy with a smirk. "Have you ever thought of writing your story down? I think your mom would like read it."

He frowned. "It's _not_ a story, it happened! And I have told my mom about it, she just doesn't believe me…"

Her heart cracked. Damn, there he went again with the whole 'this really happened' gig. What was that supposed to _mean_? Did his imagination really make him believe his story or was he trying to get attention? Then again there were so many details that didn't make sense. How could he remember/tell his story so vividly? Hell, he'd even used some of the same dialogue over and over again, how can a kid his age do that? And there was the fact that all of his close pals said they were witnesses to the whole thing and they _did_ tell the story in the same fashion Jamie did.

" _If it doesn't make sense, it's usually not true."_

But then again…

" _You never believe me, it happened!"_

How many times did Jamie hear that his story wasn't real from an older source? Some of the older kids in fourth and fifth grade had been picking on him after all. That didn't count the adult audience either. It had to have been discouraging to hear that everything he experienced wasn't true. If he really believed with all of his little heart that this story took place, who was she to say otherwise? She was an adult but that didn't make her any better or worse than him. How many times was _she_ outcast by her older sister's friends because _she_ was younger?

If he believed hard enough, it made it true for him at least, didn't it? That's what really mattered that he hoped and trusted in his heart enough to believe that this really happened. Who was she to tell him it was 'just a story'.

" _Fine,_ you _believed it happened."_

Someone had to trust him, someone, older, had to believe him. There was no doubt Rye believed Jamie and Sophie so why couldn't she? Was she secretly becoming the one thing she hated when she was young? A doubtful, superior, controlling adult? No, no way. She couldn't let that happen, she couldn't let him feel the same way she did when she was small.

Heather looked forward to see her apartment door within reach. Had she really been thinking _that_ much in the past few minutes? Ah well, whatever got them through the hard walk home. Winter was wrapping up but it was still cold! The through of warm cheeseburger macaroni sitting in her belly wouldn't be a dream for much longer!

After arriving at the doorstep, she released Sophie's tiny hand and reached down into her pocket. The cool feel of metal against her fingertips made her hands clench. She pulled the small set of keys out into the daylight and she flipped through the various keys until she found the one to unlock the front door. With a quick twist of the wrist, the door clicked and she pulled it open. The warmth from the living room hit her skin and made her shiver. Ah, it was nice to be home.

"Go on in." Heather looked down to the kids with a smile.

Not needing a second command, they ran into the warm space with smiles. No doubt they were hungry, tired and needed to get out of those wet clothes. As they did on every day they came home with her, they skipped into the living area, stripping their wet jackets and boots in the process. Jamie made a beeline for the couch while Sophie took her time fiddling with the buttons on her heavy coat.

"Hey you," Rye rounded the corner from the kitchen and stepped into the living room. "How was work?"

"Long and cold." She replied with a grunt and sigh.

"Sorry about that." The older sibling giggled before returning to the kitchen. "I'll get the snacks for Jamie and Soph, okay?"

"Thanks."

The sound of Sophie giggling made the tired female to look right. Now free from the clenches of her coat, the smaller girl had made her way to the fireplace. There on her knees, she bent down and began to pet and pull on the dog's, who slept on the floor, fur. Ah poor Bug, just how the Pomeranian put up with that kind of attention was beyond her. The cream-colored toy dog lifted her head from her doggy bed and with her eyes half lidded and squinted she looked toward Sophie. The line of black whiskers around her muzzle poked out and stretched as she opened her mouth to yawn. What was _she_ tired from!?

"Be gentle with Bug, Sophie." Heather said as she passed through the living room and entered the hall.

 _Cause there's only so much she'll take…_

With a quick turn to the right, she entered her bedroom. Time to get out of these damn clothes! Her sweat pants were just _yearning_ for her at this point. But before she could do any of that, there _was_ one thing she needed to do, urgently.

If Jamie was going to believe his story was real, the least she could do was respect that. Even if she knew it wasn't real, she could give him the benefit of the doubt. If he thought it was true, that much, then maybe it was. As long as he wasn't hurting anyone, believing was just fine. He needed to know this from someone other than the kids who said they experienced it with him; he needed to hear it from his 'cousin'.

After sheading her heavy coat, Heather walked deeper into the room, her destination clear. Once at her bedside, she bent down on a single knee and began to flip through the various papers and books under the bed. With her hands and fingertips stretched out she felt and felt around until a hardcover book caught her interest. She yanked out the older book with ease and pulled it into the light. Ah, exactly what she was looking for. The teacher's aide pushed off of her bent knee until she was on two feet once again. Book secure and in hand, she walked out of the bedroom she shared with Rye and stepped back into the living room.

"Hey," She said just as she turned the corner into the main area, "I've got something I want to show you guys." Heather approached the couch only two find her two audience members staring at her with a set of wide, curious eyes.

"What is it?" Jamie jerked forward, apple slice placed between his fingers.

"Here," She stepped closer to the sibling duo, taking a seat between the younger kids. "I wanted to tell you a story."

"Ohh!" Sophie leaned in.

"This is a story that I read when I was a rat, just like you two," She laughed to herself as she flipped open the older book with care. "It's about were souls are born."

Just as she came to the first page in her book, out of the corner of her eye she saw her older sister step into the room. Rye leaned against the wall closest to the couch and with a warm smile watched. How many times had they heard and read this story over and over? Rye had shown this story to her when she was younger and even now; this had to be one of her favorites. It was something she believed in with all her heart. Even if it didn't make any logical sense.

"In this story, the souls of every person, animal and plant are born from a place in deep space." A smile came to her face as she looked at the first picture in the book. "And from this place a person's star seed is born."

"What's a star seed?" Jamie's head tilted to one side.

"It's kinda like a baby soul," She turned to the next page. "It's the soul after it's just been born. And after the star seed is created, it is sent to earth so it can grow into a person, animal or plant."

"So everyone has a soul seed?" He turned to her with arched brows.

Her inner fan girl cringed. " _Star seed_. And yes, everyone has one. You, Sophie, Rye and me!" She flipped another page. "And no matter what you do, no matter how you live your life, you will always have your star seed. Then when you're really old and die, your seed goes back to the place where it was created."

"Cool." He leaned against her arm, "Has anyone ever been to the place where star seeds are born?"

"Of course!" Heather felt a wide smirk spread over her features. "But!" With both hands placed on the front and back cover of the book, she snapped it closed. "That's a different story for a later time. But I thought it was important that you two knew about this story."

"Why?" Sophie's bright eyes caught her attention.

"Because to some people, that story is just a story." The teacher turned her eyes away from both kids and turned to the back cover of her beloved book. "But to me, that story is _real_. It doesn't matter if someone made it up, it happened in my mind. I believe it and because I believe it with all my heart, I think that makes it real."

The room fell silent. What was she supposed to say, no one knew about this, minus Rye. And while she'd rather have no one else know these deep secrets, she felt heat rise to her cheeks. Why did she feel stupid? This was what she believed in; there shouldn't be any shame in it. The characters in the story she loved so much were real to her, the good deeds they did and the lives they saved made them _real_.

"So," She cleared her throat after the moment of silence. "I wanted you two to know that if you believe in your story about Jack Frost that much, then that's okay. If you believe in it that much then I can respect that. Because I believe in _you_ , I believe in the things you say."

She turned right to see Jamie. His eyes were wide, brows touching the top of his forehead and jaw opened just enough to see his pearly whites. Was he surprised by her story or what she had said afterward? Either way, as long as he knew she believed in _him_ that was all that mattered. He had her faith and because they were 'family' they needed to stick together. Fictional characters or not, this was what he experienced and she couldn't take it away from him.

Chapter End.


	2. Act Two

Love Emulsion

Chapter Two

"And she said that we all have a star seed!"

Jack felt the sides of his lips curl. The stories this kid came up with were nothing he'd ever heard before. Where did he get this stuff? Then again he had mentioned his babysitter told him this tale so the real question was which crazy book did this one come out of? Ah well, it was a sweet story anyway kinda like the stories of a jolly old man sliding down the chimney every December twenty fifth. Only thing was, _that_ story was true.

Coming by Jamie's house was all worth it, just to hear the new news in his life. Even if he was _supposed_ to be finishing up the winter season in this area, nothing beat this.

"And after we die," He went on the enthusiasm in his voice growing. "Our star seeds go back to where they were created."

"In space?" Jack cocked a brown brow.

"Yep!"

Hm, that was funny seeing as when _he_ died, no star seed popped out of his chest and floated back into the dead of space. So this story was basically a poorly written science fiction comic? Why would a babysitter even tell a kid that kind of crazy story? It wasn't like it had any value but who was he to judge, he hadn't read it. If he had, maybe he'd get a few mental laughs to keep him busy when he was working.

 _So there's a big cauldron out there somewhere in space, making souls? Eh, not likely._

"Your babysitter told you this?" He asked, falling back into the plastic chair in the younger boy's bed room.

"Yeah," Jamie nodded, his smile as wide as ever. "She told me that she believes in this story more than anything in the whole entire world! She said that if she can believe in that story, I can believe in you."

His heart stopped. "You told her about me?"

"Of course." The brown haired boy nodded.

For a moment he hesitated to inhale but found the strength to speak anyhow. "Did she believe you?"

 _Did she believe in_ me _?_

"At first she didn't." The younger male's eyes darted away from him. "And I'm not sure if she does now but she told me if I believed in anything hard enough it was true."

"I see." Jack felt his own eyes move away from the boy sitting a few feet away from him. "So," He cleared his throat, "She believes this story about star seeds? That's pretty wild."

Jamie's large eyes found their way back to the ice spirit. "Yeah, Heather says _I_ have an 'active imagination' but I think _she's_ the one with an active imagination!"

Active imagination, didn't it _always_ come down to the conclusion? Parents were infamous for saying something like that when their kids came around with 'stories' like the one Jamie had apparently been spreading around school. But as long as there were kids like _him_ around, that's all that really mattered. If just one person believed, that was more than enough for him. After all, how long did he go when no one believed in him?

"Heather huh?" Jack managed to crack a smile.

If this girl could believe a crazy story like that of star seeds then why couldn't she believe in 'old saint Nick' or the Easter bunny? It wouldn't be _that_ far of a jump would it? Then again, she was an adult. If an adult believed in the guardians did that mean they would be able to see them? When had an adult ever seen one of them? The reason why grown people couldn't see them was only because they didn't believe right? What if they _did_ believe?

Would she be able to see them?

It'd be worth a shot.

XoXoX

He'd have to move on soon from this part of the country, it was getting too warm for his tastes. Besides, when spring started somewhere, fall had to start elsewhere right? He was going to miss Jamie and Sophie though, but there was always next winter. The fact that they even believed was enough motivation to move on and look forward to the coming season. A few more weeks of cold and he'd move on. Such was life.

 _If you can call it a life_.

The wind carried him with ease. Ugh, he could feel the warmth in the air, spring was on its way that was for sure; no more snow days for the kids of his city, not any that would cancel school anyway. Hm, with the slight chill he brought to the surrounding area, he might as well make the last days of winter go out with a bang.

With his trusty staff in hand, he soared through the lukewarm air, only bringing his arm down to frost the windows of apartment buildings and street lights. Ha, wouldn't it be great if one of the stop lights went out? Ah, that would remind those morning commuters who ran the place. Mm, but it was a little too warm for that now. But what the heck, why not try at least? Jack spun his way through the narrow streets, his arm guiding the way for the light ice to freeze over the occasional light and street sign.

Through the city streets to the suburbs and making his way toward the elementary school, he traced the car windows with what little frost he had left. No doubt it would melt in a matter of hours or even minutes with the way the weather was carrying on. He brought his arm back up to chest level as he surrounded the grade school roof. He felt the wind around his face thinning out and braced himself for landing. His right arm shot out as the wind died down, his fingers locked on the flag post on the school roof. Once within distance, he clenched his hand around the metal pole and came to a slow stop.

Where would his next destination after this? After all once he was out of the states there wouldn't be a lot of people who believed in him. Ah well, he'd dealt with it for long enough, right? It wouldn't be so bad, winter would always return and now that he had Jamie, things wouldn't have to be so hard. And that went without mentioning North, Tooth, Sandy or Bunny; he had them too.

 _Things are a lot less lonely with that bunch around._

Winter this year would be the best yet, he was going to make sure of that. More people than ever believed, that meant a world of difference for him and he couldn't wait. He would just have to keep himself occupied until then, but time did have a way of flying by when-

"It IS true! It's not a story!"

Hm, there was a familiar voice. That was Jamie. Jack lowered his chin, gazing down at the active elementary school below. A gaggle of kids ran through the yard, most of them huddled in the basketball court. Still too cold to run out without a coat? Heh, at least he was doing something right. Shaking off his mental congratulations, he allowed his eyes to scan the area his target nowhere in sight.

"You're such a toddler! You can't even make up a good story!"

An unfamiliar voice.

His eyes moved left, right, up and down until a small gathering of kids caught his attention. Near the back entrance to the school were three small kids. The two bigger boys had cornered the smaller one in what looked like some kind of interrogation.

"Did your _mommy_ tell you that story?"

"It's _not_ a story!"

Jamie.

Two against one? How childish… but then again they _were_ kids. Ugh, they never change. He had to do something; he wasn't going to let two bullies rough Jamie around. Jack released his grip on the metal pole and allowed his slender body to float toward the ground. As he neared the floor, he looked down to see a yellow jungle gym below his feet. Ah, the perfect place for a sneak attack, that'll teach those third graders not to mess with Jamie!

Just as his bare feet hit the metal bars of the play equipment he hunched over and flipped his wooden staff around until it was pointed in the bullies' direction. He narrowed his eyes and inhaled a shallow breath before focusing his energy. A little shock of ice to the back wouldn't hurt anyone but it sure would get the message across.

Just before he could fire his round of frozen ammunition at the larger third grader, a streak of black and red flashed in front of his eyes. Jerking backward slightly he balanced himself on the bars and refocused his vision. Looking once again in the direction of the bullies, a larger body blocked his view. What the heck?

"Paul, Jake are you bothering Jamie again?"

A female. A teacher maybe? Jack's right eyebrow lifted as the woman's features came into his line of sight. She was _dressed_ like a teacher and sounded like one but she did seem kind young. Maybe she was a campus supervisor instead? Her short, shaggy, pixie-cut hair style stood out the most, the brown color of her locks shining in the midday sun. Was she going to stand up for him?

"He's telling that stupid story again." The smaller of the two third graders presented the older woman with a frown.

The female parted her lips as if to interject when the loud buzz of the school bell made them all flinch. Time for class again. At least Jamie would be away from those older kids now.

"Hey, he can tell any story he likes." The woman's voice caught the frost sprite's attention once again. "I'm not going to tell you two again, _leave_ _Jamie alone_." She placed her fisted hands to her hips and locked her left knee. "Now get back to class."

"Hey," The biggest male crossed his arms over his chest and shot the teacher a cocky smirk. "Are you Ms. Matthews?"

She hesitated. "Y-yes."

And just like that, the two boys broke out into a fit of laughter. Jack's brow rose even further as the two kids looked to one another, both nudging each other in the upper arm as if they knew something the teacher didn't. The older woman seemed to hesitate once again before stiffening her limbs.

"What's so funny?!"

"Jamie told us that you believe in _soul seeds_." The smaller boy spat between laughs.

 _Soul seeds? Does he mean_ star seeds _?_

" _She told me that she believes in this story more than anything in the whole entire world!"_

That meant the teacher standing up for Jamie was Heather, didn't it?

" _She said that if she can believe in that story, I can believe in you."_

So this was his babysitter? Huh, somehow he pictured her looking older. She looked pretty young for what Jamie had told him about. Ah well, looks can be deceiving; if people could actually _see_ him, they would never guess he was three hundred years old.

"Oh yeah and that we're all born from somewhere 'deep in space'!" The boy to the right made sure to move his hands back and forth as he carried on. "Aren't you also the teacher who believes in _mermaids_?"

Jack's eyes moved away from the boys and back to the woman. By this time her head had ducked between her shoulders while her hands rested at her sides in fists. A flush of pink dusted over her cheeks and she bit down on her bottom lip. Was she embarrassed?

"Ha!" The kid on the left nudged his partner once again. "I bet she even believes the story that there's a princess on the moon! Do you?"

She remained silent although the blush ran deeper.

"She does!"

 _Princess on the moon? I know of the Man in the Moon but princesses? This is new._

This girl sure did have some crazy beliefs. If she could believe in mermaids and princesses who inhabit the moon, there _was_ a chance that she could believe in guardians, right? After all, it wasn't much of a stretch. It was interesting either way he looked at it.

"That's enough!" The sound of Heather shouting forced all eyes in the area to turn her way. "Go back to class before I give you both pink slips!"

In their fit of snickers and giggles the two boys fled the area, still joking to themselves. After the troublemakers left, the female teacher turned to the smaller student with a pout. Was she mad at him? After all, the kid had spilled the beans of her secret favorite story.

"Sorry Heather." Jamie dropped his head. "I was telling the guys when they over heard, I guess."

"Ah," She shook her head before stepping toward the smaller boy. "Forget about it. I'll get over it but that'll cost you two cookies tonight."

He gave his babysitter a playful roll of his eyes. "Deal."

"Oh and try not to call me Heather at school, okay?" Once within distance she stretched out her right arm and touched the boy on the shoulder. "Ms. Matthews works better here. We can't have everyone knowing you're my favorite rat here."

 _Rat?_

"Sorry." Jamie shot her a smile.

"Come on," She removed her hand from his shoulder and turned on her heel. "Let's get back before we're too late."

"Okay."

Jack watched as the couple turned away from his direction and began to make their way back to the school hallway. They seemed pretty close, almost like they were family or something. So this was Heather? She seemed decent enough, from what he'd heard from Jamie she seemed like a nice person. She _did_ stand up for him. But she also seemed a little on the strange side. Star seeds, mermaids and moon princesses? What kind of adult believed in that kind of stuff? He was a _guardian_ and he didn't believe any of that.

Then again he could be wrong, stranger things had happened.

Chapter End.


	3. Act Three

Love Emulsion

Chapter Three

Too bad last night's chicken enchiladas didn't last long. No yummy left overs tonight. With a sigh and pout, she continued to tap away at her computer keyboard. Even if her stomach was rumbling and rolling, she still had work to do! Besides, she was almost finished with her latest chapter; food could wait another few seconds. Of course she _would_ have to wait about ten minutes for the oven to actually _cook_ the frozen pizza but that didn't mean snacks were off limits. If she wasn't mistaken, there were some blueberry muffins sitting on the counter.

She felt the minutes tick away as her fingers danced across the keys. Surely her editor would be pleased with this chapter! She'd been working her buns off for days now. Ah well, it was all fun anyway. Who knew she would get her dream job _and_ get paid a significant amount while doing it? How lucky could one gal get?

At least she _should_ feel lucky. Why didn't she?

While she continued to type, the sounds of the television in the living room echoed its way into the back master bedroom. She and Heather used the biggest room in the apartment as a computer/work room, having the biggest TV set in the front area. After all, the two of them only needed one room, since they would never dream of staying apart. At least not yet anyway. Things could very well change if things kept up the way they were going.

Rye's index finger moved down the board until it hit the period key. Ending her sentence for her most recent chapter, she glanced upward looking over her work one last time before saving her document. After saving it, twice just to be sure, she placed both hands on the desk and proceeded to push her office chair away from the computer. With enough distance now she pushed her body out of the black chair and stood upward.

Her back ached, popped and snapped as she stretched for a second or two. Time to stick that pizza in the oven for herself and Hea! No doubt her little sister would be hungry by the time she got home from work. Fridays were always a relief for her that meant Heather would be home for the next two days! No school, work or babysitting! Just her and her sister.

The weekdays took way to look long to pass by. For eight hours a day she was all by herself. Well, she did have Bug but it wasn't like the small Pomeranian was going to crack jokes or gossip with her the way her sister did. Sure, she was a writer but did that mean she had to be alone all the time? She was making good money at what she did so why couldn't she enjoy herself?

She needed someone, anyone to talk to her throughout the day. By the time Heather got home she was always so tired! Sometimes she would even have to leave at really early hours in the morning in order to prepare for the day at school. Not to mention her trips to Office Max that left her completely left out. It left her out, left her _alone_.

And fuck, she hated being alone.

She had her dream job, dream apartment with her best friend and she still had room to complain? What kind of selfish bitch did that make her? She should be so grateful for every little thing she had and here she was, feeling sorry for herself. Being alone never killed anyone so why did she hate it so much? It was just like being in the dark. How many dreams had she had when she was alone, in the dark, crying out for someone to answer?

 _Too many times._

Heather had the job she'd always wanted so how could she ruin her sister's dreams by saying she was scared of being alone? If she did that, she wasn't being the older sister she was supposed to be. She was being a brat. Nothing was hurting her physically so the least she could do was 'woman up' and deal with it like an adult.

Shaking all of her mental rambles out of her mind, Rye stepped out of the computer room and walked down the quiet hallway. Sure the sound of afternoon talk shows vibrated her eardrum but it wasn't the same as having someone there to talk to. Ah well, she should be used to this by now! After all, the school year started _months_ ago. Hea had been working for at least three months!

After reaching the end of the hall, she turned to the right and entered the small kitchen. Time to get out that pizza and cook it, Heather would be home any minute now. The writer hummed to herself as she stepped toward the freezer and popped it open. There in plain view was the sister's future meal. She reached it, grabbed it and pulled out the frozen food. Once secure in hand she shut the freezer door and took two or three steps toward the oven.

 _Isn't it like four hundred degrees or something?_

Her right brow lifted; whatever she wasn't gonna preheat the oven anyway. One grunt and roll of the eyes later, she tore open the plastic around the pizza and placed the frozen disc onto the prepared baking sheet. Once it was nestled on the tin foil wrapped sheet, she bent over and threw open the oven door. She slipped the pizza in and slammed it shut. Rye turned her attention to the dial on the stove and set the proper settings before whirling around on her heel and stepped half way out of the tiny kitchen.

Before she could leave the area she stopped at the cross 'road' between the kitchen, hallway and living room entrance. There a blonde puff of fur stood in her way. She felt a chuckle crawl up the back of her throat as she watched Bug, fresh from her nap, standing in front of her. She seemed like she was still half asleep but her ears were fully erect and her whiskers pointed forward as if she were alert or something.

"Hey Bug." She said, the ends of her lips curling into a smile. "Hea will be home soon, are you waiting for her?"

The dog's almond shaped eyes blinked several times before moving away from her. What was that about? Rye looked further to see Bug's legs stiff and tense. Her tail, which usually curled on to her back, was hanging low. Was she feeling bad or something?

"Are you okay?" She tilted her head.

No response.

Ugh, only if she could talk! Things would be so much easier, not only did that mean less visits to the vet but at least she'd have someone to talk to! The small smile that formed on her face moments before faded. Sometimes it felt like the dog didn't even want to talk to her. If _no one_ , including Bug, wanted nothing to do with her, what was she supposed to do? What would she do without her sister? She had no friends of her own, no one else to support her when she was down so if Heather ended up leaving or something she would have _no one_.

 _I don't want to be alone anymore._

Her heart ached while her tear ducts began to burn. She wasn't going to cry _again_ was she? How many times had she cried when she was alone? The neighbors probably thought she was crazy or something!

She had to shake off this feeling before it got the better of her! She inhaled through her nose before bending down to the small fluff ball. Might as well check her nose to see if she was sick. With the back of her index finger, she pressed skin against Bug's nose. Hm, nothing unusual there, wet and cold as it should be. She wasn't sick so what _was_ wrong with her? It was usually a hassle waking the pup up during one of her deep sleeps but something seemed to have stirred her, otherwise she'd still be asleep. Right?

"Are you hungry or something?" Rye said, standing up straight once again. "You'll have to wait until Hea comes home; you know I'm not allowed to feed you before-"

Bug twitched. Her head lifted, eyes moving back and forth all over the room like she was looking for something. Her ears began to turn right then left and right again. Was there a fly in the room or something? All jerky movements and searching came to a stop when Bug turned her head right. The smaller female looked down the darkened hallway with full attention.

Really? Did she really have to stop and look down the dark, scary hallway when she was already nervous? Shit. Rye pulled in her bottom lip and sank her front teeth down on it. Her mouth grew dry as she shut her eyes and prepared herself to look down the hall. Bug _never_ alerted for something that wasn't there. Had someone snuck into the apartment via window or was it a ghost? Ugh! Why today? Why when she was alone? Why her?!

 _There's nothing there, there's nothing there…_

She released the grip on her bottom lip and opened her mouth in the slightest manner. She allowed herself to exhale the remaining air trapped in her lungs before she allowed her eyes to flutter open. Her heart pounded in her chest and beads of sweat began to build on her brow as her eyes moved to the left. Starting at the cheap carpet, her brown eyes moved up and up until she saw the white door, then the door knob then the heating vent. Nothing.

Feeling safe to breathe again, Rye inhaled and exhaled a sigh of relief. Thank _God_. Maybe Bug heard a bird outside or something, then again maybe she was hearing something a human couldn't? Did that mean there was something down the hall she _wasn't_ seeing?

 _Gah, why do you have to think so much? It's nothing, there's nothing there. Hea will be home soon and everything will be just fi-_

A almost ear piercing yap made the author flinch _hard_. Nearly jerking out of her socks, she looked down to see Bug with all four paws stretched out while the fur along her spine stood up straight. Again she released a bark that echoed through the apartment. She was barking now? At _what_? Gulping, Rye looked once again down the hall only to see nothing _again_. Even with no visual evidence, she continued to bark and yelp as if something was staring her down.

"Shh, Bug!" She hushed the dog as he hands and legs began to quiver. "You're freaking me out, stop!"

Instead of stopping, pausing or even looking in her direction, the Pomeranian persisted, her barks becoming louder, faster and more intense. No, this couldn't be happening! There was no way there was someone or something in the back room. She shut her eyes tight and held her breath. Bug had to be hearing things, _normal_ things like birds or kids. There was no way there was a burglar hiding in the closet or a ghost looming around the corner.

 _Please, stop!_

"Bug!" Rye lifted both of her hands to the sides of her face. "STOP!"

Silence.

No birds, kids, barking, just the muffled sounds of the television and her heavy breathing. She waited one moment, then another and still no unusual noises. The sweat of her hands began to weigh on the skin on her face and soon she felt her palms slipping off her cheeks. Once her hands rested at her sides once again, her eyes pried open.

Nothing in front of her, to the right, over her shoulders and the left? She hesitated only for a moment before looking down that dark hallway once again. Nothing near her bedroom door or the bathroom. She allowed her eyes to move toward the computer room at the very end of the hall. The door was still open from when she'd been in there minutes before and at her angle she could see the desk. From behind the frame a streak of black mist shot across the doorway.

Her eyes instantly shut once again.

 _It's nothing. It's just my eyes, it's nothing. Nothing's there._

A whimper made her relax. Bug was still here with her, at least there was that. Her eyes fluttered open once again, this time being wary of the back room. Keeping her line of sight away from that area, she looked down to see Bug with a pathetic look on her face. Was she scared or just worried for her?

The beep from the oven finishing its preheating hitched her breathing. Everything was fine. No one was there, no robber or ghost. Everything was fine and she was safe. Bug would never let anything bad happen to her. Her eyes were just acting up! Heather would be home any minute now and everything would go on like normal.

Right?

XoXoX

This girl sure did a lot. On top of working at the grade school, she babysat Jamie and Sophie _and_ walked them home every day after school? Wow, looked tiring enough, where did she get the energy? Ah well, work was work wasn't it? Now that she was finished with work she had to be headed home, right? It _was_ getting dark out.

Jack hovered well above the teacher as she made her way down the city street in silence. With her book bag hung over her left shoulder, she clutched to her right hand onto the oversized scarf around her neck. She hadn't seen him yet but that didn't mean she couldn't, right? After all, she believed in the strangest things, the idea of Guardians couldn't be far off! Might as well give it a shot, right? Hey, if she believed it would be great, another person believing made him _real_.

With the gentle breeze carrying above the street lights he watched her move from block to block until they were standing in front of a rather large apartment complex. So she lived here? Staying close on her tail, he watched as she pressed in the door code to the gate in front of the complex. A rather loud and annoying buzz alerted the female and allowed her to enter the gated community. She pressed on, only pausing momentarily for a yawn, and worked her way through the various doors until she stopped in front of one in particular.

Decorated with the ugliest Easter wreath he'd ever seen, he felt a chuckle tickle his lungs. Oh if Bunny could see this right now, he'd love it in all its terrible tackiness. The sound of jingling keys forced the winter spirit to float closer to the female. She still hadn't noticed him. Hm, if she hadn't seen him by now that had to mean she couldn't see him at all. He was five feet in front of her! Ah well, not everyone was going to believe. She was an adult after all, it wasn't like she was going to believe Jamie's 'story'.

" _She told me that she believes in this story more than anything in the whole entire world!"_

Why the heck did that pop into his head all of a sudden? So what, it was just some weird story that a girl, who seemed to be more child than grown woman, seemed to believe in. What did it have to do with him? Nothing! Sure, to get a close up look at this so called 'book' would be mildly entertaining but did that mean he was going to invest any more time and energy into this woman?

" _Aren't you also the teacher who believes in_ mermaids _?"_

Then again.

"Come on…" The sound her the female shuffling in her bag made the invisible male stiffen.

If she couldn't see him then would she really have an issue with coming into her apartment? It was just to get a peek at that book anyway! Just one look and he'd leave! And maybe if he caught her attention, she'd see him. It was just a harmless test anyway; why not go with the flow? It was all in good fun!

After Heather was finished zipping her bag back together, she flipped the house keys around in her right hand until they were ready for unlocking. Assuming she did the same thing every day, he watched as she pressed the key into the lock and released it. At the sound of the door clicking, she pulled the key out and with her left hand began to open the heavy wooden entrance.

Keys now free from the lock, she moved to place them into her coat pocket when they fell out of her hands and hit the floor. Jack's eyes bounced from the school teacher who had bent down the retrieve the keys and to the open front door. If he was going to get inside, now was his chance.

Blowing every logical thought out of his head, he placed his hooked pole out of sight and slid inside the apartment. Even as he moved into the home, she did not react. Okay it was official she couldn't see him. With that checked off his list, he waited for the young woman to follow his lead. As predicted, Heather finished plucking the ring of metal off the floor and stood up straight. Afterward, she moved into her house and quickly turned her attention to the small kitchen at her left.

"Hey Rye!" She called out in a rather cheerful tone. "I'm hooooome."

"Good," A woman popped her head from around the kitchen corner. "How was work?"

"Not bad!" Heather replied, dropping her bag to the floor and undoing her scarf from her neck. "I'm just glad it's Friday."

"Me too." The woman, Rye he assumed, pulled her shoulders back into the kitchen.

"I'm beat!"

Sisters, hm? Jack moved his feet across the carpeted floor slowly. Even if they couldn't see him didn't give him the right to go around knocking things off shelves and freezing their walls. Better that they don't know for now. Two hysterical females was something he didn't need at the moment.

As he stepped away from Heather and toward the kitchen he caught a full glance of the woman standing in front of the oven. Her long brown hair that waved down passed her shoulders caught his eyes first. As she moved around in the small space he saw the reflection of her glasses in the fluorescent light. Without the long hair and glasses, they were nearly mirrored images of one another! Maybe they were twins?

"Smells good in here, boo." Heather kicked off her boots and walked into the kitchen, blocking his view of Rye. "What's cookin'?"

"Pizza." The four-eyed woman replied in a lethargic tone. What was wrong with her? Had she been working too?

"Cool." The teacher nodded, spun on her heel and stepped passed him. "I'm gonna be in the room for a sec, I'll be right back."

"Sure."

After Heather moved out of his way, he could see Rye with her arms planted on either side of the sink. Her head hung low into her shoulders, her nose tipped downward. Was she hurt or something? By the tone of her voice and position, something didn't seem right. Maybe she was sick?

The sound of footsteps on carpet stopped. Jack allowed his eyes to bounce to his right to see Heather. She had paused mid step and looked over her shoulder to see her sister hung over the counter. So she could feel it too? Then again siblings had that kind of connection. Heather's large brown eyes narrowed and her smile flipped.

"What's wrong? Tired?" She asked, her voice deep and almost unsteady.

"Yeah." Rye inhaled. "I have a headache."

"Oh." Heather's shoulders relaxed. "Anything else? You seem upset."

"I saw it again, that's all."

 _Saw_ it _again_? What the heck did that mean? The frost sprite crossed his arms over his chest and lifted a brow. It wasn't like she was seeing anything strange, right? Pitch was long gone by now, there was no way. That was just crazy talk. Maybe she was talking about something else. How could he judge, he'd only been in their house for minutes.

"Really?" The girl with the pixie cut grunted. "Maybe you should go back to the eye doctor."

Rye lifted her head and moved her index finger to the bridge of her nose. Once there, she pushed up her glasses and turned in her sister's direction. "My eyes aren't the problem."

"It was that black mist again, right? Maybe we have a ghost or something." Heather pulled her undone scarf from her shoulders and threw it beyond Jack's shoulder and to the couch.

"Thanks, that doesn't make me feel any better."

The teacher chuckled under her breath. "Sorry." Then she turned back toward the hall. "I'll be right back."

"Kay."

The guardian moved his eyes away from the taller female as she left the kitchen area and turned into her bedroom. Hm, black mist? No, no way. They had just got rid of him; there was no way he could be back already! No one was afraid of him and with no fear he couldn't be seen! Then again, what else did that kind of thing mean? After all, she _seemed_ scared or at least stressed out about seeing whatever she saw. Damn.

 _There is no way. No way!_

"Where was it this time?" Heather's voice echoed from the bedroom located at the right side of the hall.

Jack looked back to Rye; by this time she had whirled around and rested her lower back against the counter. "In the back room."

Back room, huh? Might as well take a quick peek. Since there was no way it could be Pitch there wasn't any harm in checking. He stepped away from the obviously stressed woman and walked down the dark hallway, by passing the bathroom on the left and the bedroom on the right. At the end of the hall he saw a large double door bedroom that had been made into a makeshift computer room. With one of the double doors shut and the other just ajar he was going to have to make his next move as quiet as possible. All hell would break loose if one of them caught the door opening by itself.

He peered over his shoulder once and seeing no eyes looking in his direction, he pressed his hand against the warm door. Chewing on his bottom lip he returned his eyes to his main object of focus and applied pressure to his arm. A slight creak made him wince, ugh of course the door _would_ squeak when he needed to open it!

He held his breath as he pushed inch by inch until the door was wide enough to accommodate his head. Jack removed his hand from the wooden surface and pressed his face into the entrance way. His eyes scanned the near empty office space from corner to corner. Nothing. No strange sounds, mist or shadows. Well that kind of counted out Pitch for the time being, didn't it? Of course that didn't mean it _wasn't_ him earlier it just meant he wasn't back there for the time being.

 _This calls for a meeting, great._

His eyes rolled. Wonderful, just when they got rid of that sorry excuse for a nightmare, there was a chance he was hiding out somewhere in this apartment. This had to be nipped in the bud. The same thing that happened almost a month ago _could not_ happen again. He couldn't let Pitch become that powerful.

He withdrew his head from the pried doorway and gave a sigh. What was he supposed to tell the others? Ugh, what a story _that_ was going to be. But it was better to be safe than sorry, right? Thinking of which, it'd be best to check the other rooms while he was at it. Jack turned around and took a few steps until he was standing in front of the bathroom door. To open it or leave the door shut? Eh again, opening a closed door wasn't a great idea when two on edge girls were in the house. Skip that.

Next the bedroom then it was time to split. He turned about to see the door was already open; there was a stroke of luck. The guardian stepped into the doorway only to find Heather standing in the middle of the room with her arms crossed over her torso. With her fingers clenched to the ends of her dress shirt and one swift movement she pulled the article of clothing over her head.

His limbs went stiff. What the heck, why was she changing with the _door open_? Weren't women more careful about stuff like that?! The moment her white lace-lined bra came into view, Jack jerked his body back into the hall. With his back pinned against the wall he inhaled a deep breath and held it. Geez, talk about awkward. There was no way _this_ part of his story was coming up tomorrow at the meeting. Bunny would have a field day with that one.

While holding in the breath he had just taken, Jack allowed his eyes to shut. He had to relax. No telling what could happen if he bumped into something. If one of them caught on to him being in the apartment, they'd freak for sure. Then there'd be a problem.

 _Just get out of the room so I can leave!_

Once she cleared the bedroom he could make a hasty escape through their window. The back window was kind of out of the question seeing as the squeaking door was open about five inches. Best play it safe and run when everything was just perfect.

A small grunting sound forced him to pause and release the air in his lungs. What the heck was that? He opened his eyes and followed the sound until the image of a small dog caught his attention. Small enough to tear apart his ankles and fluffy enough to fend off any attack, it stood in the front of the hall staring him down. Huh, it was kinda cute in a strange way with those big eyes and tiny ears.

"I've never seen a Pomeranian up close before." He laughed to himself.

Her perfect triangle ears fell flat on her head and her upper lip peeled back. Oh no, she wasn't going to bark or something, was she? That's all he needed, to make her charge at him! What would the sisters think? Geez, luck was not on his side today!

"Shh," Jack lifted his hands to chest level. "It's alright, I was just leaving."

Before he could take a single step backward the dog released a loud yap that tore through the small apartment. He flinched, _hard_. Great. He continued to move away from the cream colored toy dog, hushing her along the way but she persisted. Growling and making a strange 'ooohh' sound, she stomped her paws on the carpet and charged closer.

"Bug!" Heather's voice came from the room to the left. "What's wrong?"

"Shhh!" He pressed his index finger against his lips.

"That's the second time today!" Rye called to her sister over the barks and growls.

Second time? Did that mean this dog was yapping at something unseen to adults earlier? Okay he could put two and two together. Black mist _and_ an unseen intruder? This was Pitch at his worst. No doubt about it now. This was serious. Ugh, he had to get out here _now_.

Before he could make any more movements, Heather appeared from the bedroom wearing a pair of shorts and a heavy sweatshirt. With her hands to her hips she narrowed her stare at the pup. "Come on hun, get out of the hall."

The Pomeranian whined.

Good, it stopped barking, time to make his getaway. With the dog's attention on her master, Jack slipped into the bedroom. He glanced over his shoulder as he darted toward the window and once within distance, placed his hands on the metal hinges. He paused only for a moment, listening to the muffled voices of the females from the living room. If they were talking to each other, that meant they weren't focused on him. Better to get out now. In an almost achingly slow motion he opened the window and hopped out. His feet hit the melted snow with a soundless thud. He spun around afterward and shut the window to the best of his ability.

He needed to go to North, he need to tell the others what was happening. Even if he was over reacting and this wasn't anything but a coincidence, he had to tell them what was going on. If there was any hint of Pitch coming back into the world they needed to know.

Chapter End.


End file.
